Daniel Dubois foe Joseph Parker eats 7,000 energy a day and ‘cheat meal meant for 10 individuals’
Boxing behemoth Joseph Parker will face Daniel Dubois in February looking to become a two-time heavyweight champion but is already a winner at the dinner table.
And the New Zealander is hungry in his quest to dethrone Britain’s Dubois, with his coach and nutritionist George Lockhart providing mammoth meals to fuel his bid to get back to the top, including a cheat meal big enough for 10 people.
Parker, who was won his last five fights, where his last over Zhilei Zhang gave him the interim WBO heavyweight crown, has a professional boxing record of 35-3.
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He is scheduled to meet IBF champion Dubois in Saudi Arabia in February, in the Brit’s first fight since defending his title for the first time with a sensational knockout win over Anthony Joshua at Wembley in September. Dubois now faces another tough clash against Parker, who was WBO king from 2016 to 2018 before losing his title to AJ.
Parker has spoken before on his food plan, where Lockhart feeds him “6,500, 7,000 calories a day” to sustain, maintain and build his body to take on the most powerful fighters on the planet.
And now Lockhart has revealed exactly what goes into making ‘Big Jo’ just that. He told Action Network: “You can’t seem to feed the guy enough. He eats a ton, and still wakes up lighter the next morning. I have no idea where he puts it. Back in New Zealand, when Joe was focused on bulking, he was eating steak every day to pack on muscle.
“It’s effective for building size, but it leaves you feeling constantly tired, and the body goes through growing pains during that process. Now, he gets red meat about twice a week, fish three or four times a week, and lean pork and chicken make up the majority of his meals.”
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But away from the protein-packed plan, Parker is happy to tuck away a cheat meal once a week.
“On Sushi Sundays, we go to a spot where they sometimes close the place just for us because of how long we take,” Lockhart added. “Joseph can eat up to 40 pieces of sushi and sashimi, it’s unreal. We started this tradition in Ireland, and I remember a waitress saying, ‘This is meant for 10 people.’ Fifteen minutes later, every plate was cleared. I’d say sushi is Joseph Parker’s ultimate guilty pleasure.
“Cheat meals like sushi feel indulgent but aren’t too bad compared to junk food. When you eat clean consistently, you stop craving unhealthy options because you remember how they make you feel.”